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Ski training indoors - is it worth it?

Had a fun day yesterday at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead running a one-day clinic on transitions. As usual it was nice to see people make some important changes to their skiing, improve their ability to make adaptions to their core technique depending on the task in hand and hopefully go away with a better technical understanding of how skiing works. Although relatively few skiers consider strapping on skis at this time of year it really can help transform your skiing for when you next head to the mountains, especially if you focus on improving your technique rather than just head up and down a short slope at an indoor centre. As an example, this is a guy I've been teaching since April of last year who has been committed to improving his skiing, taking a few clinics with us and a coaching trip out to the Alps last winter. Hope you can see the improvement

Fair bit of difference there
Have to say I enjoyed the steeps course I did with you last year before the October test, unfortunately Hemel is too far south for me to visit regularly.

I can definitely recommend spending time in a snow dome over the summer, spent a fair bit of time at Castleford last summer and really noticed it in my skiing out in the mountains.
Will be going back there as soon as I'm not working all the time....

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Domenico has made some brilliant progress.

For me I can really feel the benefit of practicing indoors, I'm sure I wouldn't be the level I'm at without it (and a little bit of IOS help). I go once a week and would love to go more because I'm now at the level where I'm really aware that I've got a long way to go

Only issue I find with there is that I can never remember the drill I was going to do until I'm at the bottom !

Purposeful Practice Produces Pleasing Progressive Permanent Performance, but you will need perservence and much patience in an indoor dome.

If I go to an indoor dome without a purpose in mind, I'm bored after just a few runs. Then I ski poorly and regret going, although it's always good to see your ski mates!

So, go with a reason and be serious to 'sort it'

Or not...bon skii.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

My usual skiing environment is a dry slope, and either on that or the indoor snow I NEVER get bored! Hemel is 3 hour's drive away for me, so I go about two or three times a year (tried Castleford recently as I was in that area). If the trip it isn't for a lesson I'll get a day pass (10-6), and except for a quick lunch and a couple of coffee breaks I'm working on so many things the time just zips by.

I can't fathom how some people will only ski on holidays - if I don't ski at least once a week I get very antsy. Sure, getting away on the real stuff in terrific resorts and stunning scenery is great, but the improvement breakthroughs happen on those other 50 weeks of the year too, for those of us who are working on plastic or in domes. So yes, for me it's totally worth it!

I did three courses and put in 50 hours in the CFe before the last BB. There's no way I'd have been able to tackle red runs on day one of the BB without the hours in the snow dome.

I've still got a looooong way to go. Hence the reason why I've already put in 28 hours in the CFe since the BB and plan on doing at least the same again before the next BB.

One thing I've noticed from videos of Hemel (in particular Franz Clammer's) is how much more chopped up it seems to get compared to the CFe. Unless of course all the videos I've seen were taken in the evening. I've never seen the state of the CFe in the evening.

Off there again on Monday for another 4 hours. Needs must. And no, I never get bored. I'm skiing. I could be at home doing DIY or gardening.

Nice progress. Looks like a tall guy so good to be getting his centre of gravity lower.

After all it is free

After all it is free

Even though I have no dome near me now - minimum 2+ hr motorway drive - I'm happy to go as much as I can during summer, when the dome slopes are not busy. When I lived nearer I went more, though I didn't then know what to practice. Did a few coaching sessions, sometimes helpful.
I continue to do some courses now, and want to do a lot more, but most in-house ones are designed only for locals (and those living near) and not on days or at times when those who need to travel can do them. And external courses, as someone said above, are rarely run north of Hemel. WS do moguls and general sessions at CF or Cas sometimes, but nothing at Braehead ever, it seems; ditto any other private outfits, CF sometimes but mostly further south.
@rob@rar, please bring your courses at the least to Cas or CF, if not over the border.

You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.

You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.

@Grizzler, we did try a few years ago to get something going at Braehead, but unfortunately we couldn't make it work for us.

Ski the Net with snowHeads

Ski the Net with snowHeads

@rob@rar, Castleford or Manchester then? Are there enough Northern SHds who would support at least 1 day from you? The WS courses are often sold out and full, so I suspect that there could be room for more.